Average Joe - SoundEffect

Built to scale.

A week ago today, Stephen Loftus, aka SoundEffect, dropped an article examining the technical specifications of the UNSC's Halcyon-class Crusier, the SCS Pillar of Autumn. If you aren't already familiar with his work, this exhaustive examination of the UNSC's warship is a great place to begin. But before you head onboard and check out the Autumn's decks, stay docked at the Bungie.net Cradle for a few minutes of R&R and get familiar with the man behind the specs.
Q. Who are you and what do you do?

A. My name's Stephen Loftus and I live on the east coast of Canada.

I currently work as a quality assurance test lead for a gaming company that produces video lottery terminals and games for casinos and bars worldwide.

When I'm not in the office on the computer and playing games, I like to be at home on the computer and playing games. Wow, when you write it out… :)

My major hobby is scale model building. For decades, I've built model cars, planes and spacecraft. Not only store-bought kits, but scratchbuilt models made from odds and ends. I'm a part of a group of sci-fi modelers and our site is: http://msfm.seryan.com/

What got me noticed by the Halo community was a scratchbuilt model I was building of the Pillar of Autumn. When finished, it will be about 4ft in length. I've stalled on it, but it's on the bench as I type this, so it's never far from my mind. I was absolutely thrilled when a photo of my in-progress Autumn model made it into one of the Halo 3 documentaries included in the Legendary Edition of the game. It's on screen for about a second and a half, but it's been a highlight of my time with the Halo community.

My other hobby involves research. I love to research the hell out of whatever interests me. I'll get more into that later.
Q. What kind of research went into coming up with your gamertag?

A. Well, I guess there are two names. The name most people know me by online is SoundEffect. The name is a fictitious Autobot from The Transformers (he says as though Transformers aren't already fictitious). It's a name given to me by my wife because when we first met, I was always making sounds with my voice for ordinary things like opening doors, cupboards, driving, walking, et cetera. As a kid I had the best fun with action figures because I could make the laser sounds and engine thrust noises with my voice. I can do a few cartoon character impersonations that aren't too far off from what I've heard from people. Anyway, my wife and I initially got together over our mutual love of Transformers so SoundEffect was a character I made up, sketched, and even wrote a fanfic involving him. I've gone by the name ever since.

If you were asking about my gamertag, it's ScaleMaster117. I haven't been on Xbox Live yet, so no grandiose stats to boast about. The name is from a scale-calculating program I coded after finishing my IT education. The 117 is for the scale work I've done specifically with the Haloverse.

Q. Are there specific areas of the community that you find more interesting than others?

A. I visit HBO a lot; more than once every day. The only site I'm on as frequently is my email. I also regularly spend time at www.starshipmodeler.com on their forums. I'm on Bungie.net for the weekly updates.

My major interest in Halo is about the technology, the vehicles, the weapons. One of my first visits to HBO was to add some of my Autumn research to a discussion underway about the Pillar of Autumn. When I looked for info online about the ship and found very little, I decided to write up my own article about what came out of those discussions and why. It got posted thanks to Claude at HBO...big thanks, Claude! I was then asked about various other vehicles in Halo and became the guy to go to for finding out the actual sizes of things in the Halo universe. I wrote another article or two and then Claude graciously gave me a spot of my own (on HBO's front page, no less!) to post any other Halo articles I cared to write. I still get emails from pretty much around the world either thanking me for the research I've already done, or asking what the next article will be about.

[Editor's Note: HBO has a frontpage? - Urk]

Q. What compels you to game?

A. What compels me to game? Well, I don't actually consider myself a 'gamer' in the contemporary sense. I play a few titles to the nth degree, but I don't sample from everything that's out there. I've played the Halo series, Half-Life series, and Splinter Cell series to DEATH, but I have never bothered to play Guitar Hero or even tried out the Wii. Halo is a type of game where I can go into a level and just look around at where trees and rocks were placed. Just the ambiance of the game makes exploring so much fun and increases the replayability a hundredfold. I seriously never get tired of visiting any level because no matter how many times I've seen it, there's something new to find or discover. Some new trick to pull off.

I have a few friends that I play Halo with, and I play Halo with my wife as well. I keep telling her I'll win 15-0 on any Halo 3 map she chooses, and then the score ends up at 15-13 or sometime she wins too. We're a pretty good match and that keeps it fun. (I'll get that 15-0 someday…)
At my workplace, we have an Xbox 360. On breaks and sometimes lunch, we play Halo 2 predominantly, but Halo 3 and some other titles are on the shelf there. In the 4-player Halo 2 matches, I'm hated for my ability to plasma grenade the faces of the better players, even from across the map. I guess it's become my weapon of choice with that crowd. There's a couple there that can routinely win against me 15-0 until I get out the stickies!

Q. What was the first Bungie title you played?

A. Halo for the Xbox was the first Bungie game I played. A friend had an Xbox and played it with him and fell in love with the game. The vehicle control was top notch and the control scheme was intuitive. I was primarily playing PC games at the time so I was used to keyboard and mouse control. I bought Halo PC when that came out in 2003 and play it to this day. I watched Halo 2 play out before I ever played it myself. I didn't even care…I just wanted to watch the story unfold! I didn’t get an Xbox until late 2005. I bought the Halo Edition 360 about a week before Halo 3's release and got the Legendary Edition of that.

Q. Are you surprised by your level of involvement?

A. I'm surprised the Halo franchise has sucked me in the way it has. I tend to be an obsessive personality when it comes to things I like…I go all out. Halo has certainly give my off time focus over the better part of 7-8 years now. I get into almost every aspect of it: I have tons of Halo figures, multiple copies of the games, all the novels, soundtracks, strategy guides, art books, statues, etc. I can't get enough Halo!

Q. Are you involved with any other entertainment-based community sites?

A. There are others? I don't visit a lot of other interests online actually. I still like a lot of the shows I liked as a kid such as Star Trek, Transformers, Voltron, GI Joe, and so on, but there have been few communities that have the level of interest or the quality of forumgoer like at HBO. I know there I'm among people as interested in Halo as I am. I haven't found that kind of camaraderie with any other entertainment property.

Q. Anything you would like to add?

A. Frogblast the vent core. There. Had to be said.

Big thanks to you Urk, you're the first to interview me about Halo stuff! Thanks also to Claude at HBO for giving me an outstanding place to go everyday. And most importantly my wife, Sarah, who loves Halo as well, but probably thinks I spend a little too much time with it. And replace 'probably' with 'definitely'.

Speaking of spending time, it looks like we've run out of the precious commodity where SoundEffect is concerned. Thanks for the words, Stephen - both here and in your articles. Technically, they're pretty damn awesome.

Chaos Theory: Episode 9: Fear: Part Two

Adam dropped in to let us know that his colon-filled Chaos Theory: Episode 9: Fear: Part Two is up and ready to go. He also dropped a nice compliment. We'll return the favor.

Adam, though we've never met you or seen depictions of your likeness, we believe you may have a thick, lustrous head of hair.

"Hello Bungie.net!

It's me Adam Susskind announcing Episode 9 of my graphic series Chaos Theory. This one is called Fear: Part Two. Don't worry there won't be a part three. Crimson Steel helped me out with this one, so give him around of applause.

Now, normally I'd leave some cryptic threat for Urk, but this week I just want to offer him a genuine thank you for the clean, respectable site that has brought me so many views. Thank you Urk, keep it up!

Spriggs Episode 13

Looks like RunningGun Studio has all the technical difficulties sorted and Episode 13 of Spriggs is now online. Absurd humor warning. It's also over nine minutes. Those with short attention spans need not apply.

"After a long hiatus, and the video not wanting to encode and upload right three times in a row, Spriggs is back in with their thirteenth episode."

Screenshot Spotlight: Predator5791

"Point and Shoot" gets reloaded.

Looks like Alec isn't content sharing his own screenshot expertise with us. He's gone ahead and rounded up another "photog" to provide us with new ways to make pretty pictures. Check out the step-by-step and brief interview below.

"After the success of Point and Shoot, I was asked by a member of the community to do a once weekly screenshot spotlight, showcasing one famous screenshot artist at a time. Well, here it is, the first of many "Screenshot Spotlights." I'll be starting this out with perhaps the most famous screenshot artist of all, Predator5791."

Here's how he makes his magic happen:

Step One: Platforming

Make a platform for the weapons to be placed on. Bridges work best. Make sure the bridges themselves are floating in the air. To do so hold the object in the air in the position you wish it to be then press start, save game then end game. Once you start up the game the object should be floating. Note that this does not work with weapons as they will fall once the game starts.
Step Two: Weapon Loadout

Once you are done setting the platform on which you plan to place weapons on, place any weapons you wish in any form or design.

Step Three: Save Your Work

Once you are done drawing your design on the floating bridge(s), save the game. Do Not delete the base yet. Save the game first. Once the game is saved you can go back and delete the bridges and the weapons are floating!

If you start new round or touch/shoot the weapons they will fall.

Stay away from the weapons. Even after you delete the platform do not save game. You may go back and take as many screenshots as you wish, but each time you will have to delete the bridges in the beginning of the game. That is how it works. That means this technique can only be done in Forge.

If you wish to make the weapons appear to be floating vertical follow these steps:

Step 1: Place the object in which you wish to use as the platform at a 45° angle. Make sure it is no more than that or the weapons will slide.
Step 2: Place the weapons on the platform in any design you feel like.

Step 3: Save the game, then delete the platform and your weapons are floating at a slight angle. To make the illusion that the weapons are vertical take the screenshot from a 50-60° angle. Make the spartan or elite stand close to the camera. This gives the illusion that the spartan/elite is in correct proportion to your weapon drawing.

About the Author:

What inspired you to start taking screenshots?

When I first heard that you would be able to take screenshots in Halo 3, I never imagined it to be anything like it is today. I expected nothing more than captured snapshots of gameplay. I remember being bored one day and seeing a screenshot that had a picture drawn on the ground with weapons. I thought it was a neat idea and I gave it a shot myself. After awhile I decided to step it up and thus invented the technique in which to make weapons float. The rest is history. I love making screenshots and I love seeing people's reactions.

Are you still actively taking screenshots?

To be honest, no. I have not lost my passion for screenshots, I just simply don't have the time anymore. Right now I am just sitting back and seeing what the community can do.

Out of all of your screenshots, what is your favorite?

My proudest screenshot is without a doubt "Gargoyle", but my personal favorite is "Alien". It may not have that certain appeal or essence of "Gargoyle", but "Alien" was a lot more challenging to make and I love the Alien movies.

Want to make any shout-outs?

Hi MOM!!!
Seriously though, I would like to give a shout to my good friends Mmack, Gmack, Snizzlephish, Duardo, Immortal, Foman, Obi, Achilles and everyone else who helped pose in my screenshots!

The Running Riot Podcast LIVE Tonight!

The good folks at The Running Riot are putting on a live show. If you're interested in tuning in or getting in on the act, check out the details and description below.

"Just a reminder to tune into our first LIVE Podcast tonight at 9:30pm EST. Viewers can witness the recording and chat with the hosts and guests during the show. Tonight's guest is Predator5791, the #1 Favorite Author at Bungie.net."

Betrayal Montages

Looks like happy accidents are all the rage in the Halo 3 multiplayer space right now. Here's a pair of betrayal-themed montages for your viewing pleasure. Oh, and before you head off into Halo 3 and start griefing, keep in mind these are happy accidents, Bob Ross style. We're not accepting any videos of you and your friends doing this kind of thing intentionally.

Roadkill - A Mongoose Dualtage

Two of the top ten Mongoose drivers on Halocharts, H3WM WakkaWakka (6) and iCantHaveFun (3), decided to mix elements from two of the most popular types of videos - mongoose montages and dualtages - and came out with Roadkill, a Mongoose dualtage.
Roadkill

Many of these clips couldn't have been pulled off without the help of the friendly community members of H3Wheelmen and the Bungie.net community group, Death by Mongoose. Big props to them!

Tag and Release - Chief

I need a screenshot.

What's left to say about the Master Chief that hasn't already been said? You know him. You've been with him every step of the way. You watched as he became the soldier you needed him to be. Wait, that wasn't you, that was Cortana. Who are you and how did you get into this week's Tag and Release?

Up and Over, Chief!

Bling Bling

Stay on Target

Nowhere to Run

Down the Sight

Check it out! We turned out five sweet screenshots this week. We're overachiefing. To make up for the Stuntmutt-worthy pun, why not check out the All Tags tool. Our Web Team coded it up just for you to make sharing all the Halo 3 screenshots that much easier. And you know what they say, sharing is caring. Share the love, search for some screenshots, and make sure you're tagging your own properly so others can view, tag, and rate.

Halo 3 Fails: Episode 7

Halo 3 Fails: Episode 7 has just been released. If you've yet to watch an episode, seven is an excellent place to pick it up. If you want to dial back the clock, the link to earlier episodes is included below.

Hard Justice: Episode 9

DigitalPheer has submitted the ninth installment of his series, Hard Justice. As always, this machinima contains the naughty words your parents warned you about. If you are easily offended, don't click the link below. Seriously. Why are you even thinking about it?

"After Eddie calls Reggie's Bar and Grill in advance to inquire about their reports of vandalism that they oddly don't know anything about, Max is still at the apartment of the strange man he met at the shopping center, Howard is alone in his office thinking of things to keep himself busy and Bernard has embarked on his mysterious solo mission assigned to him by Roman investigating an abandoned chemical facility."

'Annihilation' - A Machinima Short

"We will never back down."

Spartacus280 put together this short, narrative machinima for your viewing pleasure. Some sweet post effects and an interesting premise, but those looking for a fully realized plot or deep introspective commentary need not apply. Embed and link below.

Play Halo 3 and Get Rich

Worth your weight in gold.

Bryan Simon has a new song for you to listen to. Check it out.

"If you're looking to make money playing Halo, get to work on them gold bars! Many players want to reach level 50 General status, but maybe after hearing this song, you'll aim a little lower and a little golder."

Reflection - HD Montage

Eight minutes and dozens of jump cuts.

Snipes, sticks, and even a touch of Assault Rifle. You should know what you're getting when you jump in to a Halo 3 montage by now. Hit the embed or link below. Best viewed in pristine High Definition.

The Running Riot Podcast LIVE

"The Running Riot has changed and is now focused on a more full featured Podcast. Like before, the audio is captured from the Halo 3 Pregame Lobby. Thanks to the magic of Mogulus.com, you can now witness the recording of the show LIVE!

Viewers can also chat with us and each other while the show is being recorded. The next live recording for Episode 14 will be January 27th at 9:30 PM EST. We will be joined by Predator5791, the #1 Favorite Author at Bungie.net.

Green and Mean

A Plasma Pistol Montage.

We missed this little green gem when Hawty McBloggy posted it a couple of days ago. In this short montage, conor2020 proves that plenty of weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side. Hit the link to watch in high quality.

H3W: Webcomics and WordPress

TTL Demag0gue delivers on his promise and drops a nice update into his Halo 3 Webcomics tutorial. If you're trying to get into the comic game, or even already working on your cell-shaded masterpiece, read the description below, hit the links, and take a peek at some helpful tips and tricks.

"I've just posted a brief tutorial over at Halo 3 Webcomics on how to publish webcomics using the WordPress blogging platform and the ComicPress theme for WordPress. Feel free to check it out if you have an interest in getting started on something like this. Halo 3 Webcomics is, of course, always accepting applications for free hosting for quality Halo webcomics."

3 Ball now available!

If only you had three hands, right?

Starting 11am PDT, 3 Ball makes its belated appearance as a Double EXP weekend for Halo 3! For those of you new to this gem of a playlist, Oddball games based on the presence of -you guessed it- three oddballs make up the entirety of the playlist. The catch? There are four teams. That means someone's going to get left behind if they don't act fast.

3 Ball is available from January 22nd until 2am Monday, January 26th. Heroic and Legendary map packs are required.